【英语时差8,16】饮食打赌

Don: Hey, Ya?l, wanna make a bet? Ya?l: That depends, Don. What do you have in mind? D: I'll bet you fifty bucks¹ that I can lose more weight than you over the next three months. Y: But I don't need to lose any weight, and neither do you--you're a beanpole. D: I know. But I wanted to do a test to see if diet betting really works. Y: Diet betting? D: Yeah. It's a weight-loss tactic² where people at work or groups of friends join weight loss pools. Everyone puts in twenty-five bucks or whatever, and whoever loses the most weight in a given time period wins the pot. Y: Interesting. So does diet betting actually work? D: Well, studies have shown that people are more likely to successfully quit smoking or lose weight when they're given a substantial economic incentive³. So in general, yes, diet betting seems to work for some people. There are even websites where you can make diet bets with other people. One site actually takes your credit card information and charges you unless you meet your weight loss goals. Y: But I wonder how effective diet betting is in the long run? I mean, when the contest is over, you might go right back to eating junk and gain the weight back. D: True. But the idea, as with any weight loss program is that the initial diet leads to a more comprehensive lifestyle change toward healthy eating and exercise. Whether or not that happens depends on the individual.

1 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

3 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。